The Grenada gazette., 1887-09-24
SHE KNEW IT THEN.
And When She Found Out She
Acted Accordingly.

Twas frontier post six companies.
Colonel in command. and Mrs Colonel
In command Of him: the boys called
her "The General" But Miss Mary.
the Coloners daughter, all thought
was the lovelicst creature on earih.
Frank Moore, Post Adiudtant. a noble
fellow, proposed and was refused.
Then came young Vancamp. just grad.
mated from "the Point with no end
of ducats in the bank and his family
and he made fierce love to Miss Mary.
The General backed him for all she
was worth, and Mary did not dislike
the lively, good-Iooking and very rich
youngster, while she was somewhat III
awe OF quiet, stern Moore.
One evening, after dusk, the
Adiutant walked up towards the COL
opers house. When within six feet OF
the porch, he quickly came to a right
about and made his way back to his
office. Ten minutes after, the corporal
of the guard appeared at the door;
with him, on reekjng, blown horse,
was ranchman. There was news to
tell, the reds were out two families
had been butchered. their homes
burned. and stock carried away.
Moore again went to the chief S
quarters and entered, passing Miss
Mary and Vancamp. seated very close
together. The veteran was confined
to his chair by old wounds. Frank
made his report and received his
orders.
If you have no objection, sir.' he
said, Il should like to go with my
troop; Office work is rather wearing,
and fell rather rusty
Certainly, my boy. certainly. 1t
will do you good. You have looked
rather seedy the last while past. I'd
20 myself If could. Give them Hail
Columbia Moore, but take care Of
yourself. can't supply an Adjutant
every day
Il think the trip would do you much
good, Mr.. Moore spoke up the Gem
eral. "A good riddance of bad rub
bish," she said, under her breath.
"Thank you, sir, I'll attend to all the
details and Wen start at once" and he
hurried ont, pausing only to say
Goodbye" to Miss Mary, to hold her
hand a moment in his, and to look into
her eyes with a deep steady gaze that
made her blush and caused her heart
to beat tumultously. Then there were
the calls, the orders, the hasty issuing
OF rations, "boots and saddles" and in
half an hour they were of.
vancamp did not 90; fifteen minutes
before the news arrived, he had been
accepted by Mary. He told her he
would resign, and pictured in glowing
language the grandeur and pleasure of
the life they were TO lead.
The General was in Heaven; the old
Colonel growled little, but was not
ill-pleased. He had hoped Moore
would win his girl; he did not know
that his favorite had tried and failed.
Three days after came courier late
one evening. A report from the Cap
tain commanding the expedition told
how they had one brush with the foe,
and were now driving them. All was
well except that Lieutenant Moore had
been shot in tn, lung, and he was sent
back with the courier.
Too bad, too bad" said the
Colonel. "The best of the lot. l
ought not to have let him 60"
Where is Mr.. Moore2 Have him
brought here" he said to the tired,
dusty trooper who stood before him.
''The Lieutenant is at McCarthy's
ranch, sir twelve miles up South Fork.
He took to bleeding so, and got SO
weak he could not sit on his horse. Ihad
to hold him on for five miles before we
got there. He seemed determined to
reach here with me. but he Just
couldn't do so. | left him there abed
and insensible, but they're kind folks
there, sir and the women will do what
they can.'
Just then the General and Miss
Mary entered the room. The trooper
stepped toward the young lady and
saluted:
Beg pardon, Colonel, and madam.
and miss; but the Lieutenant, when we
started back, wrote these few lines and
told me in case lie could not reach her,
or died on the way, Twas to take them
from his pocket book and give them to
you;" and the soldier took from his
breast a folded papcr--a leaf torn from
a notc-bookand handed it to the as-
tonishod, frightened girl.
She opened it and read:
Mary, have been badly hurt 4, 10 q long.
hard ride back. l may dc OF the sound or Of